Fall of Mirpur
Every year 25th Nov is remembered as Mirpur day. On 25th of Nov 1947 a curse desceneded on Mirpur now in POK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir). Out of total population of 25000 about 18000 were killed (Mostly Sikhs) and about 3500 wounded by the raiders
To pay tributes to Martyrs on this day Parbhat Pheris (Morning Processions) are taken out. The people from all walks of Life including school childeren participate in it.
legend
About 650 years ago, according to a legend, was laid the city of Mirpur by two Saints, Mira Shah Gazi and Gosain Bodhpuri. The word 'Mir' was taken from the name of the former while 'Pur’ from the latter to give the name 'Mirpur' which became the Hindu-Muslim unity and brotherhood. Simplicity, fairdeal, integrity, hospitality and tolerance marked the character of its inhabitants. Not only were they imbued with the feelings of self-respect and qualities of hard-working, intelligence and God-fearing but were also brave and courageous, and ever-ready to sacrifice anything in the cause of their mother-land. Hospitality and courtesy are the inherited qualities of the people of Mirpur. They have their own sweet language known as Mirpuri.
The city of Mirpur gradually rose to become a great commercial centre next only to Jammu and Srinagar. But the partition of India in 1947 brought it to almost ruins. It then, having a population of 25,000 souls, including migrants from Punjab, became the boundary line between India and Pakistan on the western side of Jammu and Kashmir State. Pakistan in connivance with Pathans attacked Mirpur in full force with the intention of grabbing whole of Jammu and Kashmir State. But the Mirpuries unitedly stood against the invaders as a one man. On 4th November, 1947 the heavy enforcements of Pakistan Army took position on the ridge known as Palan-Da-Galla and also started heavy firing and tried to besiege the small Garrison of State Force at Mangla Dam on the river Jehlum, at about 10 miles from Mirpur city. Under heavy odds, the State Force decided to retreat from both the posts mentioned above, to the city. This brought the enemy right to the gates of Mirpur city and the prize much coveted by the enemy now looked within its easy reach. But the people of Mirpur were not prepared to give-in without fighting in collaboration with the small state force. They organised the defence of the town. Together they repulsed the enemy attack with heavy losses on November 6, 10 and 11, 1947.
The morale of the state Garrison got a big boost when on November 12, the aircrafts of the, Indian Air Force effectively bombed and straffed the enemy position around Mirpur city. The fighters appeared again on November 14, and dropped some small arms and ammunition which the Garrison needed very badly at that time. Unfortunately, a great part of these, having been loosely packed, was rendered unserviceable. Even otherwise, the ever increasing ammunition demand of "the Garrison engaged in a continuous fighting could hardly be expected to be met by the fighter aircrafts whose carrying capacity was much limited. Little wonder, all attempts to do so were subsequently suspended. In the meantime, the enemy came closer to occupy almost all the posts around the city, Not only the stock of ammunition was then exhausted down to a dangerously low level, the position of essential commodities including medicines in the town also became critical. The people of Mirpur then organised committees with a view to distribute the available stock of the limited quantity among the people. The soldiers of the state army were served cooked food in packets.
After November 16, the intensity and regularity of the enemy attacks on the city greatly increased. But the young and brave souls of Mirpur also displayed tremendous grit and tenacity in their defence. On November 19, the then thin and poorly equipped strength of the State army found it very difficult to pull on for more than 3 days. In that critical situation, the State Garrison received another consignment of 25,000 rounds by air supply. It was quite in-sufficient, yet it boosted the morale of the Garrison tremendously. The next day another massive attack was made on the town and the enemy managed to break through the defence on the south western portion of the city. The enemy was then engaged in a hand to hand fight by the young men of Mirpur and the soldiers of the State army. The enemy was pushed back and their attempt to enter into the city was foiled. Unfortunately on November 21, the wireless set with the Garrison went out of order and all contacts with the country were lost. The air strikes of the Indian Air Force against the enemy also declined thereafter. On November 22 and 23, the enemy used it's full force and pumped bullets into the city from all the directions. This continued day and night without any break.
On November 24, came the final blow when a full battalion of the enemy strongly supported by artillery and 3" Mortar fire launched an attack on the south western part part the city. This was the heaviest attack witnessed so far. The post put up the most spirited resistance, but the enemy came in a wave after wave and after six hours of ceaseless fighting, this portion of the defence was over run by the Pakistan army and some of them entered the town at mid-night. Alarmed by the most critical situation, the internal flying squads engaged themselves in hand to hand fight with the infiltrators and kept them on their toes at the cost of their own life till the morning of November 25.
At this critical juncture, the administrative machinery at Mirpur clandestinely took decision of retreating to Jammu leaving the civil population to its fate. In utter display of cowardness, the Wazir Wazarat and his officers showed their back to the enemy. Some other soldiers also left their pickets and followed suit. This created panic, choas and confusion among the civil population. Thousands of women committed suicide to save themselves from the clutches of the cruel enemy and rape let loose by the invaders. Others assembled in the deserted Army Camp where the wounded and sick soldiers of the State force, lying on their beds were looking towards the sky with tears flowing from their eyes. In the camp, the old men, women and children were searching for their family members. For a moment, there appeared a glimmer of hope when at 1100 hours a fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force appeared in the sky and again at 1300 hours. But each time the hope turned into a despair as the aircraft turned away without helping the helpless. The enemy then greeted the people of Mirpur with showers of bullets from all sides and the whole town was covered with the blood and dead bodies of over 18000 mostly Sikhs. About 3500 wounded and half-dead were made prisoners and the remaining about 3500 after walking miles and miles barefooted could find way to reach Jammu in a very miserable condition of starvation and mental upset which is too difficult to be described in words even now.
Thus the curtain of tragic scene of naked dance of death at Mirpur on 10 Maghar 2004 ( 25th November, 1947) dropped with gave like silence where none was left to utter- the mourning tune on the unprecedented turmoil which brought the tragic ruin of Mirpur.
Reference
Sh. C.P. Gupta
